The aromas are both bright and sophisticated, bringing together layers of cherry, cranberry and rhubarb, with enticing barrel spice notes of ginger, cinnamon, molasses and caramelized sugar. As with all of our Merlots, this is a wine of depth and structure, pairing lovely flavors of briary plum, blackberry, dark raspberry and cola with powerful, yet fully integrated tannins that bode well for long aging.

Production

Though the 2008 growing season presented certain challenges—from early frosts to drought conditions—a meticulous approach to viticulture and sorting yielded small crops with good concentration, highlighting soft, appealing tannins for our red varietals and bright acidity for our white grapes. A long, moderately cool summer led to a harvest that commenced in mid-August and concluded in early November. This relatively relaxed pace allowed us to pick in numerous passes to ensure quality, often focusing on individual rows or a single side of the vines.